


slowly, slowly, you unfold me.

by maiaslightwood



Series: kiss me like the world is gonna disappear. [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Pre-Canon, Secret Relationship, Young Love, training in the woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-09 22:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20517425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maiaslightwood/pseuds/maiaslightwood
Summary: “It’s getting late,” Maryse says instead, landing a kick to Lucian’s side. He grunts, winces, sidesteps and rights himself to change tactic.“You’re free to give up, you know?”





	slowly, slowly, you unfold me.

**Author's Note:**

> prompted from the [kiss prompts](https://eternalalec.tumblr.com/post/187058639815/kiss-prompts) on tumblr by anon: "Luke/maryse + 8"
> 
> — _"8. The playful kiss on the tip of the nose"_
> 
> yes we're back to this pre-canon au (??) bc [clenches fist] tHE POTENTIAL?
> 
> title from _say you love me_ by jessie ware.  
(yes i've used this song before for a maryse-centric fic. it's a lukemaryse song, i dont make the rules)

In the quiet of the woods, the clashing of swords echoes unnaturally loud. It cuts through the otherwise almost fairytale-like atmosphere of fog hugging the ground and quickly moving feet dancing over brightly-colored, crumbled leaves. A bird chirps somewhere near the clearing, not daring to fly closer to the two panting Shadowhunters moving swiftly over broken branches while evading each other's attacks.

"Are you getting tired?" Lucian taunts when Maryse ducks just in time to move out of the way of his sword. 

She shoots him a dry look, one dark, perfect eyebrow raised and gestures with one of her axes for him to come closer, silently.

Her opponent throws himself into the next strike with a grin and even more force. The clang of steel on steel sends a swarm of butterflies up in the air. _Poetic_, if Maryse wasn’t so focused on winning. She grits her teeth against the solid strength of the attack, her foot slipping to find purchase and give her some kind of support. The early evening breeze sends a shiver down her back when it catches on the film of sweat on the exposed skin of her forearms and shoulders.

It’s a by now familiar dance, to them and the silence of the woods. One of them will strike, the other will parry. Sooner or later someone ends up on their back. Preferably not her.

Above the trees, the sun is slowly melting into the sky, pinks and reds all across it now as if someone had dipped their hands into paints and dragged them across a blue canvas. It would be romantic if they weren’t so caught up in their task.

“It’s getting late,” Maryse says instead, landing a kick to Lucian’s side. He grunts, winces, sidesteps and rights himself to change tactic; ducking and attacking again quickly so she has no choice but to step back and try to parry his advances. 

“You’re free to give up, you know?” He shoots her one of those lopsided smiles that make her knees weak just a little and in the second it takes to tell her brain not to smile back and her heart to be quiet, he steps around her again and strikes down in fast succession. Maryse has no choice but to step back and back and _back_ until she can feel one of the trees digging into her shoulder blades. Metal sings when she blocks his next strike with both of her axes crossed, the weapons just above their heads. 

“I think I got you,” he grins, panting from exhaustion and his arms straining against the force she puts on her weapons. His free hand drags up her side in a line of fire, comes to rest underneath her chin, tilting it up in a feather-light touch that is more a suggestion than an act of his own. But instead of the passion she expects, which would soon turn into something more, he simply leans down, dropping a gentle kiss to her nose. It tears a slow, pleased hum from her throat she isn’t proud of but the spark in Lucian’s eyes is worth her embarrassment and the blush on her cheeks. 

“Got you,” he whispers again, as they both drop their weapons and his arms come to rest around her shoulders, drawing her in so her head is tugged right underneath his chin. Like this, she can feel the frantic beat of his heart against her ear, from exhaustion or maybe something else she doesn’t dare put a name to quite yet. It quiets everything else, all the worries and expectations and duties that will catch up with her as soon as she steps back into the city. 

Here, in the middle of the forest with no one to bear witness to the way she buries her face into the – sweat-soaked and frankly quite gross - front of Lucian’s shirt, it’s easy to pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

**Author's Note:**

> if you wanna prompt more kisses feel free to [here](https://eternalalec.tumblr.com/post/187058639815/kiss-prompts)!


End file.
